Introduction: How to Design a Simple PCB Gerber File

Seeed Fusion Service are going to launch an activity. People who follow this instruction to design a PCB gerber file and send their gerber file to us can participant in this activity. We will put the gerber on ourFusion Gallery. If your

gerber file is rated the highest, then we will finally fabricate it to PCB boards and send it to you. More details...

Step 1: Material

①Prepare a picture, format: *.bmp; color: only black and white; don’t forgot to mark your name in it too.

This picture will be the front side of the PCB board, you can mark your name in the picture too. (*please note the Copyright issue.)

②Draw an outline picture of the PCB board, format *.bmp. If you know how to draw it in eagle then you don’t need to draw this picture.

③Download Fusion LOGO from here.

④Download Seeed Gerber Generater 2-layer board

⑤If you have not install eagle, please install eagle too

Step 2: Gerber File

①The dimension should be within 40mm*60mm

②Trace distance should be ≥0.12mm

③The gerber file should include three layers, GBS, GTS, GML

④GBS is the Fusion LOGO and Fusion website; GTS is the picture you designed

⑤Add a drilling hole on the board use for hang the PCB

After all the steps are completed, the PCB board is : Black color, Enig, no silkscreen. Below is a sample we made.

Step 3: Creat a New Board File in Eagle

Open eagle, then click File > New > Board

Step 4: Import the Outline Picture Then Change It’s Layer Information

Click “ULP”, Open “import-bmp.ulp” file

Step 5: Click “OK”

Click “OK”

Step 6: Open the Outline Picture First

Open the outline picture first

Step 7: Choose the Color You Want to Keep of the Design

Choose the color you want to keep of the design.

Step 8: Scale the Picture Dimension to the Real PCB Dimension, the PCB Dimension Should Within 40mm*60mm. Click “OK”, Then Wait…

Scale the picture dimension to the real PCB dimension, the PCB dimension should within 40mm*60mm. Click “OK”, then wait…

Step 9: Run Script

Run script

Step 10: Delete the Unwanted Words or Traces

-Click “delete ”, then “group” the traces and words you don’t need.

-Right click the mouse and choose “delete group”.

Step 11: The Final Outline Figure Will Be Like Below

The final outline figure will be like below

Step 12: Change the Layer Information of the Outline

1.-Group the outline figure and click “change ”, choose “layer”

Step 13: Select Layer 20 (Dimension), Click “OK”

2.- select layer 20 (Dimension), Click “OK”

Step 14: Right Click the Mouse Then Choose ‘change Group”

3.-Right click the mouse then choose ‘change group”

Step 15: Check Have You Alrady Change the Layer

4.-Check have you alrady change the layer

Group the outline figure, right click the mouse, choose “Properties”

Step 16: The Layer Information Should Be 20 Dimension. Click “OK”

5. The layer information should be 20 dimension. Click “OK”

Step 17: Then Import the Front and Back Layer in the Same Way From Step 4 - 16, But Need to Note That

①Front layer should change to layer 29 tStop; Back layer should change to layer 30 bStop

Step 18: The Back Layer Need to Do Mirror, or After Made to PCB Board the Words Will Be Inverse.

- click “mirror”, "group" the back layer, right click the mouse and change mirror.

Step 19: After Mirror the Back Layer, It Should Be Like Below.

After mirror the back layer, it should be like below.

Step 20: Overlap the Three Layers-①Center Click the Mouse to Move the Whole Figure

①Center click the mouse to move the whole figure

Step 21: Overlap the Three Layers-②How to Hiden the Layer?

Choose display button and click the layer you want to hiden, then click “OK”.

Step 22: Overlap the Three Layers-③How to Move Each Layer?

Click “Move” button, group the layer you want to move, then right click the mouse to “Move: Group”.

Step 23: After Overlap the Eagle File Should Be Like This

After overlap the eagle file should be like this

Step 24: Add a Hole to It

Click “hole “ and put it on the deisgn.

Step 25: Set the Hole Diameter. Right Click the Mouse and Choose “properties” , Input the Diameter in the Frame Then Click “OK”.

Set the hole diameter. Right click the mouse and choose “properties” , input the diameter in the frame then click “OK”.

Step 26: Save the Eagle File, Then You Got a “*.brd” File.

Save the eagle file, then you got a “*.brd” file.

Use a new folder to put the brd file, later the gerber file will exported to this folder too.

Step 27: Export It to a Gerber File.

Click “CAM ” open the cam processor, then choose File > Open > Job

Step 28: Open the Seeed Gerber Generater 2-layer Board We Downloaded Before.

Open the Seeed Gerber Generater 2-layer board we downloaded before.

Step 29: Process Job, Then Wait…

Process Job, then wait…

Step 30: After the Progress Bar Disappeared. Then Go to the “*.brd” Forder to Check the Gerber File. Like Below.

After the progress bar disappeared. Then go to the “*.brd” forder to check the gerber file. Like below.

Now we have already get the gerber file.

Step 31: Check Your Gerber by Camnt95.exe

Import your gerber file to camnt95.

Step 32: After All Is OK, Send Your Gerber to Us.

After everything is completed, send your gerber to us. We will check and upload it to our Fusion Gallery, then send back your gerber web link to you. Share to your friends and tell them to rate your gerber file!

More details about this activity...

*Note: Your gerber sent to us will be open source to other people. They can download and place order of your gerber design.

Come and ask your friend to make one.

Seeed Fusion Team